Harvey Alexander is a recruitment firm based in the United Kingdom that connects job seekers with employment opportunities. On the surface, it seems like a normal recruitment agency helping people find work.
However, upon closer inspection, many have alleged that Harvey Alexander recruitment scam operates more like an MLM (multi-level marketing) scam than a legitimate job placement service.
This article will explore the Harvey Alexander business model and practices in detail to help shed light on why it is considered by many to be a recruitment scam.
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How Harvey Alexander Recruitment Scam Works
To understand why Harvey Alexander Recruitment Scam is controversial, it’s important to first understand how the company supposedly works. Here are the basic steps involved:
- Job seekers sign up on the Harvey Alexander website and pay a one-time registration fee, which typically ranges from £99-£249.
- Harvey Alexander then claims it will actively search for suitable job opportunities and placements that match the job seeker’s skills and background.
- When a potential job lead is identified, Harvey Alexander will arrange an interview for the job seeker.
- If the job seeker is hired for the role, Harvey Alexander takes credit for making the placement and connection.
- Harvey Alexander also encourages job seekers to refer other prospective members to the service. For each new member referred, the referrer earns commission on their registration fee.
- There is no limit to how many people a Harvey Alexander member can refer. The more people they enroll, the more potential commission they can earn from the referral network.
On the surface, this arrangement may seem similar to a normal recruitment agency. However, upon closer examination, there are some notable issues that call its legitimacy into question.
Questionable Business Practices
Below are some of the questionable business practices and irregularities that have caused many to deem Harvey Alexander recruitment scam rather than a genuine job placement service:
Lack of Real Job Placements
While Harvey Alexander promises to actively search for and connect members with suitable job opportunities, many former members report they were never presented with any actual job leads. Some spent months or even years registered with Harvey Alexander without receiving a single interview. This flies in the face of Harvey Alexander’s core service offering.
Over-Reliance on network Marketing
The real way Harvey Alexander Recruitment Scam seems to make money is by promoting unlimited recruitment of new members rather than actual job placements. The compensation plan focuses almost entirely on commissions from new member sign-ups rather than placements. This follows the structure of a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme more than a recruiting agency.
No Vetting of Job Postings
Harvey Alexander doesn’t verify or quality check the job postings and opportunities it connects members with. This allows any opportunity, no matter how dubious, to be represented as a “job lead.” Many reported job postings turn out to be MLM opportunities themselves upon further investigation.
Focus on Recruitment Rather than Career Support
Harvey Alexander puts far more emphasis on aggressively recruiting new members than it does on career counseling, resume assistance, interview preparation, or other traditional recruiting services. Income potential appears directly tied to network size rather than placement success.
Unrealistic Earnings Projections
The income potential depicted in Harvey Alexander presentations and materials does not represent realistic, sustainable earnings for the vast majority of members. Success requires relentless recruiting of multiple new layers of recruits in a model dependent on endless expansion – mathematically impossible for all but a select few at the top.
Deceptive Sales Presentations
Some former members have reported aggressively deceptive recruitment practices used by Harvey Alexander, including intentionally vague descriptions of the business model until after securing registration payments and signing non-disclosure agreements.
Aggressive Retention Tactics
There are reports that Harvey Alexander employs high-pressure scare tactics to retain customers and discourage refund requests or withdrawals, claiming leaving the business will prevent future job placement or result in legal issues.
Failure to Provide Refunds
Despite offering a 30-day money back guarantee, many former members complain of being denied refund requests by Harvey Alexander within the promised window.
In summary, legitimate recruitment firms deliver real job opportunities and place candidates in sustainable employment using hard skills and expertise. Harvey Alexander exhibits all the hallmarks of an unsustainable multi-level marketing model dependent on aggressive recruiting of new members rather than genuine job placement services.
Table: Harvey Alexander vs. Legitimate Recruitment
| Legitimate Recruitment Agency | Harvey Alexander |
|---|---|
| Primarily earns commissions from actual placements into jobs. | Primarily earns commissions by recruiting new members to pay a registration fee. |
| Actively screens, qualifies and sources real job opportunities. | Job postings are any opportunities, including dubious MLMs. |
| Provides career counseling, resume assistance, interview prep. | Emphasis is on recruitment rather than career support services. |
| Earnings are sustainable wages or commissions directly tied to placements. | Earnings rely on recruiting multiple layers of downline members in an unsustainable pyramid structure. |
| Refund policies are fairly and transparently enforced. | Refund requests are frequently denied or obstructed despite guarantees. |
| Business model focuses on developing and matching candidates’ skills to employer needs. | Business model centers on recruiting new members through deceptive marketing tactics. |
In summary, the table compares the core practices and business model of a legitimate recruitment agency contrasted with the concerning practices exhibited by Harvey Alexander that indicate it functions more as an MLM recruitment scheme than a job placement service.
Consumer Complaints and Legal Issues
The controversies surrounding Harvey Alexander Recruitment Scam are well documented online through numerous complaints and critical reviews from former members:
- Over 700 complaints submitted to the UK trading regulator Action Fraud regarding Harvey Alexander’s business practices since 2015.
- Hundreds of one-star reviews on Trustpilot from disgruntled former members who felt misled or were unable to receive promised refunds.
- Several lawsuits have been filed against Harvey Alexander by former members alleging deception and failure to refund registration fees as promised.
- The BBC and multiple regional UK news programs have run exposés highlighting misleading claims and recruitment-focused income projections used by Harvey Alexander.
- Regulators in other countries like Australia have issued warnings about Harvey Alexander due to the numerous complaints received from citizens regarding their questionable business model.
This emerging pattern of complaints and legal actions against Harvey Alexander provides further evidence that its business model functions more like an MLM recruitment scheme preying on job seekers rather than an ethical recruitment agency delivering meaningful career services.
Final Thoughts
In summary, while Harvey Alexander markets itself as a recruitment agency connecting members with jobs, an examination of its business practices reveals a systemic focus on unlimited recruitment of new members rather than an emphasis on career development services or sustainable job placement success.
From relying primarily on commissions from registration fees rather than placements, to employing aggressive retention tactics and obstructions of refund policies, to generating unrealistic income projections based on endless recruitment – Harvey Alexander exhibits all the hallmarks of an MLM recruitment scheme rather than a legitimate staffing company.
The hundreds of complaints and lawsuits further validate these concerns. Job seekers would be wise to steer clear of Harvey Alexander and consider more reputable recruitment options without questionable business models or unfulfilled service promises that could leave applicants out of pocket. While promising opportunities, Harvey Alexander ultimately delivers recruitment rather than the career services it advertises.
